Book Review
Study skills for nurses
J Taylor
ISBN: 978-0-4124-4070-0; 1992; 96 pages; Chapman and Hall, London;
Max Marshall
University of South Australia, Adelaide SA
In practice-based university courses such as nursing, it is often the case that many students recognise the need to polish and refine their study skills. Although this book originates in England, Jayne Taylor from the Suffolk College of Higher Education has compiled a study skills book from a nursing perspective which has some applicability for nursing students studying in Australia.
The book is written from the perspective of a nurse educator who has spent many years studying. There is a folksy feel to some of the writing and layout making it accessible to a wide audience. There are six chapters which examine the more usual study skills issues: self-organisation; using the library; effective reading and note taking; essay writing and referencing; examination techniques; and copyright. There are a number of other chapters which focus on study activities from a nursing studies perspective: evaluating published research; projects, seminars and research reports; information technology.
Some of these chapters are valuable for undergraduate students. The section on effective reading and note taking is very well done even though a lot of old ground is covered. There are helpful hints here about the need to prioritise reading and how to become a more effective reader. The chapter on examination techniques is useful in getting the reader to think about the way knowledge is organised. Using Tony Buzan's mind mapping approach, a more conceptually creative way of studying for exams is outlined as an alternative.
Probably the least useful chapters are those to do with information technology and essay writing. Unfortunately the approach taken by Taylor is to explain a number of terms a little too simply-terms such as output devices, program, memory etc. Perhaps it would have been better to look at the information technology as a function of other study activities e.g. discussing word processing as a part of writing. The weakest section is the chapter on essay writing and there are currently many better treatments of 'how to write an essay' available in most university bookshops. As well, it is overlooked that in most current undergraduate courses essays are but one component of required writing tasks.
The strongest chapter deals with evaluating published research. Taylor sets out a way for students to begin to read and understand research papers. In straightforward language there is an explanation of what to look for, as well as recommending resources to help students in the decoding of these sometimes difficult texts. Another strong chapter relates to the production of projects, seminars and reports, from a nursing studies perspective. This section gives tips on presentation and discusses some of the pitfalls in working on each project. In this publication, where the reader is going to take information when needed, the index provides a good place to start.
Generally while some of the material, such as the chapter on copyright, is not relevant to Australian students, this book will provide a starting point for beginning nursing students.
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